I started a quest to find terrific blues music and incredible musicianship when I was just a little kid. I also have a tremendous appreciation of fine musical instruments and equipment. One of my greatest joys all of my life was sharing my finds with my friends. I'm now publishing my journey. I hope that you come along!

Please email me at Info@Bmansbluesreport.com

Monday, March 31, 2014

Johnny Cox - Thin Blue Line - New release Review

I just received the newest release (March 25, 2014), Thin Blue Line, from Johnny Cox. Opening with Your Love, is a poppy track with a light splash of country. Robbie Bellmore lays some easy going harp work on the top of this track with complimentary backing vocals by Shelley Zubot and Brad Roth. High Price To Pay is an uptempo blues rocker with clean lead guitar work from Cox and driving bass work from Kenny Neal Jr. Runaway Train is a contemporary blues rocker with a light Latin influence. Cox opens up a little on guitar and actually knocks down some pretty hot riffs. Drummer Richard Greenspoon adds a lot of texture. New Way has a familiar sound of One Way Out, traditional blues track with a New Orleans style drum rhythm. Hot, smokey backing vocals really make a lot of impact on this track and Cox again turns up the heat on guitar. Something For Me is a jazzy, shuffle track along the lines of Trouble No More (Someday Baby). Cox steps up with a clear clean guitar solo on this track and Marty Sammon adds nice key work. Title track Thin Blue Line lays back to an easier path and a dose of country pop. This is another track which could draw airplay based on it's listen-ability. My Destination has a spot of funk and Neal really pumps up the bass action. Again the backing vocals of Zubot and Roth add a lot to the track and sax work from Neil Braithwaite warms the overall sound. I'm Fine is a rolling R&B style rocker with driving bass. Cox really torches the strings on this track making it one of the hottest on the release. All These Tears is straight ahead reggae and with some nice slide riffs, a taste of harp and just enough of the traditional reggae rim shots to make it real. Long Day is likely the most refined track on the release with a R&B sway and rich guitar fillers behind the lead vocals. With a blend of Dire Straits and Eric Clapton this is likely the hot track on the release. Wrapping the release is Didn't Commit The Crime, a raw bluesy number with a strong non concentric drum beat. Really building as an abstracted blues piece this number is pretty cool. Cox really makes use of his guitar to make strong statements and this track shows that well.
I found this an interesting track to review that isn't like most anything else I've reviewed this year.

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